It is getting more and more common for historical and cultural organizations to share part of their collections with an online audience. In Northfield, we have created the Northfield History Collaborative (NHC) to digitally preserve local history and share digitized photos, documents, and artifacts online.

After ten years of growing our online collection, we began to realize two things:1) It's not enough to put the digital files up. We want people to actually use them.2) We need to package these digital files in ways that help people use them.

Each organization's sets are slightly different, but for the most part, they all include a topic overview, links to about 20 unique items that fit the topic, discussion questions, related resources, and an interpretation guide. Some, but not all, connect the users to K-12 academic standards to encourage teachers to use them within their classrooms.

After exploring several of these examples and attending a Minnesota Digital Library workshop on creating these sets, I decided that the NHC should develop several of these sets. I believed they would help people better understand the local Northfield experience of a larger historic event, theme, or era.

So, in 2018, I applied for a Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage grant in the "Research and Writing" category to create at least 10 new Primary Source Sets for the NHC. The project was broken into two parts: identifying and researching the ten topics, and selecting items and drafting the text for all of the sets.

I had selected these topics using two kinds of community input. First, I came up with a list of potential topics, sent them to Northfield-area social studies teachers, and asked them which topics they would find most useful. I also created online polls on our NHC Facebook page to gauge the general public's topic interests. Some of their responses surprised me. For example, I asked our Facebook followers if they would find a Malt-O-Meal set more interesting, or a Music one. Northfield is a historically musical town, yet Malt-O-Meal won that poll almost 2 to 1.

In order to ensure that these sets actually can be useful to local educators (and even those outside of Northfield), I also researched Minnesota K-12 academic standards in both Social Studies and English Language Arts. For each topic, I identified several benchmarks within both of those educational categories that can be explored with these sets. I wanted teachers, in particular, to be able to find and explore the wealth of online materials available on the NHC with minimal effort and obvious connections to their curriculum goals.

After the Research and Writing grant was over, and we eventually published the sets online, I shared them with my original group of social studies teachers in Northfield. One teacher wrote back and told me how much his students would benefit from this "fantastic tool for anyone working with local history." He told me he would actively promote these sets to his 6th grade students for their end-of-the-year investigations into Minnesota history topics. His email validated this whole project and showed me that we met our goals.

For more information on these sets, check out the Users' Guide online or email me at NHC@northfieldhistory.org.

This week, the Minnesota Senate passed an appropriations bill that would reduce funding for the Minnesota Historical Society (MNHS) by $4 million dollars annually. This level of funding loss could result in as many as 80 of our colleagues being laid off, reduced hours at historic sites, potential closure of historic sites, and reducing the number of education programs that MNHS can provide to students across the state. We strongly disagree with this reduction and feel that full funding should be restored to MNHS.

Public historians, like other professional fields, have a responsibility to examine all new evidence and data as well as reexamine existing scholarship as it relates to the study of the historical record and place. Acknowledging the depth and breadth of the historical record of place is not revisionist history or controversial; it is acknowledgement of the complexity for which that place represents. For most Minnesotans, Fort Snelling represents a military outpost. But for the Dakota, Bdote represents a place of cultural significance to their story. Through acknowledgement of Fort Snelling and Bdote on signage at this historic site, MNHS is not engaging in “revisionist history” or acting in a manner that is “highly controversial”. They are acknowledging that this place has significance for many different reasons and has more than one narrative that needs to be interpreted for visitors to understand those significances. By definition, this is doing good history work. This is the craft of the public historian.

We ask our elected officials to reexamine this decision and restore full funding to MNHS so they can continue to do their work as public historians and aid all Minnesotans in better understanding the great state that we call home from all perspectives.

For resources on how to contact your legislator to show support for fully funding MNHS, please visit our advocacy page.

The Minnesota Alliance of Local History Museums will be honoring seven local history projects with a Minnesota History Award and nine individuals with a Lifetime Achievement Award at their Annual Meeting and Conference on April 25. The event will be held at Treasure Island Resort & Casino, located just outside of Red Wing. This is the ninth award year. Award recipients’ completed projects or achieved the criteria for lifetime achievement in 2018. “The Alliance is proud to honor this year’s award winners,” stated History Awards Committee Chair Adam Smith, an archives technician with Minnesota State University, Mankato Library Services. “Each project symbolizes the great work being done by local history organizations across the state and each individual’s commitment to serving the local history community.”

The 2019 list of award winners is the largest group in the program’s history. “We are proud to honor so many great people and organizations for their efforts to preserve history in Minnesota,” says Alliance Coordinator Dustin Heckman. Over nine years, the Alliance has honored over 40 organizations with a Minnesota History Award. The Lifetime Achievement Award, started in 2016, has honored over 20 individuals during that time. A complete list of previous award winners is located on the Alliance website.

After four years, the Golden Valley Historical Society completed its installation of new permanent exhibits to better interpret its city's history.

Hennepin History Museum, Mapping Prejudice Project, & University of Minnesota Heritage Studies and Public History ProgramMinneapolis, MNOwning Up: Racism in Housing in Minneapolis

The exhibit, Owning Up: Racism in Housing in Minneapolis, guides visitors through the stories of three black families as they searched for home in white-dominated neighborhoods during the twentieth century in Minneapolis.

Visitors to the exhibit, The Hmong Folk Arts Experience,learn about the history and role of key folk arts forms including musical instruments, ceremonial recited wedding and funeral songs and embroidery in Hmong culture, how Hmong Minnesotans have worked to pass on these art forms over their 40 years in the state and the role these art forms continue to serve in the lives of Hmong residing in Minnesota.

The exhibit, Underground: History Beneath Your Feet, presents a history of the Iron Range focusing on local paleontology and historical archaeology with an emphasis on combining STEM and history learning.

To commemorate Otter Tail County's 150th Anniversary, the planning committee led by OTCHS developed an Otter Tail 150 exhibit, provided micro-grants to support the celebration, held unique programs throughout the county, and created a musical based on Otter Tail history.

​Steele County Historical Society & Barry D. AdamsOwatonna, MNSteele County in the Civil War

The publication, Steele County in the Civil War​, recounts the experience of Steele County soldiers during the Civil War for middle school students.

​West Central Minnesota Historical AssociationCounties of Big Stone, Chippewa, Kandiyohi, Lac qui Parle, Lincoln, Lyon, Redwood, Renville, Swift, & Yellow MedicineHow the Great War Hit Home in West Central Minnesota: World War I

The exhibit, How the Great War Hit Home in West Central Minnesota: World War I, was the first collaborative project completed by WCMHA. It recounts the experience of the whole region during World War I as a traveling exhibit that will be hosted in each of the ten partner counties.

Award recipients for the 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award include

​Cindy AdamsLake Bronson, MN

Cindy Adams has served as a staff member of the Kittson County Historical Society since 1989. During this time she has overseen numerous improvements and expansions to the museum complex as well as leading new fundraising endeavors. Cindy has been an active participant at Minnesota's Historic Northwest meetings, serving as the organization's secretary for several years.

Alden AndersonGary, MN

Alden Anderson has been an active volunteer with the Norman County Historical and Genealogical Society in Ada for over 40 years as well as Minnesota's Historic Northwest.

​Kathleen KlehrMinneapolis, MN

Kathleen Klehr has served numerous local history organizations for 25 years, most recently as Executive Director of the Scott County Historical Society since 2004 through her retirement in March 2019. Always willing to share her expertise and mentor peers, Kathleen also served on the Minnesota Association of Museum's Board of Directors.

​Louis Vital MarchandBemidji, MNPassed Away in 2017

Louis Marchand was an active volunteer of the Beltrami County Historical Society and past member of the Heritage Preservation Commission in Bemidji. His contributions to the area's local history included two publications on the townships and rural schools of Beltrami County.

​Geraldine PedersenJasper, MN

Geraldine Pedersen has been an active volunteer with the Jasper Historical Society for over 40 years. A local preservation advocate, Geraldine is credited with rallying community members to save the Jasper High School and Bauman Hall as well as publishing several histories of the community.

​Mark PetersonWinona, MN

Mark Peterson will retire in May 2019 after 36 years as Executive Director of the Winona County Historical Society. Not only was he a voice for local history in the Winona area but also brought his talents and expertise to the boards of Minnesota Humanities Center, Preservation Alliance of Minnesota, and Minnesota Association of Museums. Mark served as co-chair of the inaugural Historic Resources Advisory Committee.

​Lee RadzakTwo Harbors, MN

Lee Radzak has served as the Site Manager of Split Rock Lighthouse for more than 35 years. As he retires in April 2019, Lee will have overseen the growth and development of Split Rock Lighthouse including the creation of interpretive programming and a visitor center to welcome the nearly 4.5 million visitors during his tenure.

​Janet TimmermanLake Wilson, MN

Janet Timmerman, the current leader of the Murray County Historical Society, has served local history organizations in Pipestone, Olmsted, Lyon, and Murray counties. She has been an active member of the Society for the Study of Local and Regional History. Janet currently serves as the secretary of the MALHM Board of Directors.

​Mike WorcesterLittle Falls, MN

Mike Worcester served the Cokato Museum & Akerlund Photo Studio as Director for 25 years through 2018. Always an advocate for local historical societies, Mike served on the MALHM Board of Directors and Historic Resources Advisory Committee.

The Carver County Historical Society seeks a Curator of Collections to support its mission to collect, preserve, and interpret the history of Carver County. The Curator of Collections is the primary staff member responsible for the Historical Society's collections. A full job description may be found here.

This position is open until filled with the first review of applicants beginning in late October. Applicants must have a minimum of 2 to 3 years of experience. Salary for this position will be in the range of $35,000 to $39,000 with full paid benefits (medical, dental, and vision) and the opportunity to participate in the PERA retirement program. Questions may be addressed to wbiorn@co.carver.mn.us. No phone calls please.